NPSC operations crippled due to lack of quorum

January 11, 2016 3:36 pm

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By CAPITAL REPORTER, Police headquarters has not commented on the claims that its top officials have been staying away from the meetings/FILENAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 11 – Operations at the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) have been crippled by lack of quorum, making it impractical to transact crucial business.

The commission which is charged with the responsibility of determining transfers of police officers as well as discipline issues has not been able to undertake the task because no substantive meeting has taken place since October last year, according to police officers affected.

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Whilst all other commissioners have been attending meetings called by NPSC chairman Johnstone Kavuludi, it is understood that Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet, his two deputies Samuel Arachi (Administration Police), Joel Kitili (Regular Police) and CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro have not been available for the meetings.

“There is nothing absolutely that can proceed if the four are absent,” a senior police officer said, expressing fears that the commission’s continued existence is threatened.

Some of the key pending businesses to be transacted includes the promotions of senior officers of the ranks of superintendents and senior superintendent whose vetting results were released in late October.

“That was the last time the commission met for official business with quorum,” another source said, but Kavuludi was not immediately available for comment on the matter.

Police headquarters has not commented on the claims that its top officials have been staying away from the meetings.

It is also understood that part of the reason why there is lack of quorum at the commission is because the government is yet to replace Commissioners Shadrack Muiu who was removed on health reasons and Esther Chui-Colombini who died two years ago.

“It will be good if the commission met because that is the only way our issues will be dealt with,” one police officer affected by the stand-off said.

Also affected is the scheduled vetting of inspectors and chief inspectors of police who are next in line.

“We have been trying to find out why the vetting dates have not been announced and every time we are told it is because there has been no meeting of the commission since October,” another officer said, “It means our career progression is under threat.”

Commissioners who have been available for the meetings include Kavuludi (chairman), Murshid Mohamed, Mary Auma Owuor and Ronald Musengi but there is little that can be done without the four other officials from the police.